Does Coffee Have Calories? Weight Watchers & Health Nuts Need to Know

If you want to lose a few pounds, should you cut coffee out of your diet? Does coffee have calories or is it the perfect beverage for a low-calorie regime?

I’m not ashamed
to say that I drink more coffee than the rest of my friends. After all, I have
some friends that never skip Taco Tuesday (or Taco Thursday) and some that have
a talent of finding the perfect wine to pair with any dinner.

Whenever someone
asks me if coffee is unhealthy, I present them with my cheeseburger analogy.
Beef isn’t inherently bad for you (just don’t overindulge) but that
cheeseburger is certainly not the healthiest thing on the menu.

So, does my
overused analogy have a leg to stand on? Does coffee have calories? Is coffee
good for you?

Let’s find out.

So, Does Coffee Have Calories?

First, let’s add
a little perspective.

A can of soda
can contain 150 calories or more. A medium chocolate milkshake from your
favorite fast food chain can contain up to 380 calories.

If coffee does contain calories, how does it compare to these other beverages? Well, according to the USDA, a cup of black coffee that is brewed and prepared with only tap water contains only 2 calories, which is a negligible amount.

Maybe I was onto
something with my cheeseburger analogy after all. Since once you start to add
more things to the coffee – like sugar and milk – the caloric value skyrockets.

How Much Calories Are We Putting into Our Own Coffee?

Black coffee doesn’t have enough calories to make a dent in even the strictest of diets. However, what about other types of coffee?

If you add just a tablespoon of light coffee cream, then you are adding about 30 extra calories to your coffee. At just 20 calories, a tablespoon of half-and-half is a bit better. However, a tablespoon of heavy cream can add over 50 extra calories to your cup of coffee!

Just one tablespoon of sugar can have 48 calories or more. Honey may seem like a safer option at first glance; however, just one tablespoon of this sweet stuff contains approximately 64 calories!

So you see, if you drink black coffee then you don’t have to worry about calories – but the sweeter and creamier you make it, the more calories come into play.

How Much Calories Does Starbucks Coffee Have?

Starbucks – some
coffee connoisseurs can easily go without purchasing a beverage from them,
while other coffee lovers can’t get enough of the franchise’s tasty drinks. So,
does coffee have calories – that put your home brew to shame – when it’s made
at Starbucks?

Well, let’s start with the good. A Caffè Americano at Starbucks only has 15 calories – not bad, right? Well, the (Grande) Chai Crème Frappuccino ups the ante into the “bad” territory with a whopping 360 calories.

The Peppermint White Hot Chocolate may look pretty on the outside but it’s a strong contender for king of the “ugly” category, with a terrifying 520 calories!

That’s over 30 times more calories than the Americano and 260 times more calories than a cup of black coffee.

What’s Good About Coffee?

We’ve already
established that black coffee doesn’t have a significant amount of calories.
It’s the sweeteners and flavorings that add the add the calories.

In addition to
this, coffee has negligible amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. So,
it’s not particularly filling unless you fill it up with stuff. However, coffee
does contain small amount of some micronutrients.

Coffee Could Potentially Boost Your Metabolism

Caffeine is the
primary active ingredient that is found in coffee. Although most of us commonly
drink it to get a boost of energy or satisfy our cravings, studies have shown
that caffeine can actually increase our metabolism.

However, it is
worth mentioning that it would take significant amounts of caffeine to cause
significant changes. This is why caffeine is only one of many compounds that is
present in weight loss supplements.

Still, your
daily cups of coffee could help you shed a pound or two if you aren’t filling
them with tons of sweeteners. Once caveat that these studies did highlight is
the fact that the effect that caffeine has on metabolism diminishes with higher
weights. When obese people and lean people were compared, caffeine was shown to
be almost three times less effective.

The Final Verdict

Does coffee have
calories?

On its own, no.
However, all of those sweeteners and flavorings that you or your favorite
coffee shop are adding aren’t doing you any favors.

If caloric
intake and weight gain are issues that you’re concerned about then don’t worry,
you don’t have to go cold turkey from coffee. However, you should consider sticking
to the stuff you make at home and using healthier sweeteners.

Jacqueline is a trained teacher with almost two decades of teaching experience under her belt. However, her friends and family would tell you that her true passions are writing, DIY projects, eating good food, and of course, listening to "Weird Al" Yankovic.